Seawater Desalination Options to be Explored at Barney Davis Power Plant

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — At today’s regularly scheduled City Council meeting, the Council authorized City staff to collaborate with CPS Energy to develop potential options for a seawater desalination project at the Barney Davis Power Plant.

The motion endorses cooperation between the city and CPS Energy, the municipal utility operated by the City Public Service Board of San Antonio, to evaluate the feasibility of using the Barney Davis facility for seawater desalination.

The Barney Davis power facility has long been considered a potential desalination site due to its existing authorization to intake water from the Laguna Madre for industrial use. 

The site has been evaluated several times in recent years for desalination development. Proposals were submitted in 2018 by Corpus Christi Civic Leadership Group LLC, in June 2023, and most recently by CDM Smith in March 2025.

City staff also met with CPS Energy representatives in February 2026 to discuss the potential development of the site.

For more information, media representatives are encouraged to contact Strategic Business Manager, Ashley Marion, at (361) 826-3706 or via email at ashleym6@cctexas.com.